Brian Michael Jenkins

A leading authority on global security and terrorism provides an enthralling account of what we can expect of a post-COVID world. It's the question we've all been afraid to ask: What will a post-pandemic world look like when we get there? In a concise, authoritative, and gripping telling, Brian Michael Jenkins -- one of the world's leading authorities on terrorism and security and an advisor to governments, presidents and CEOs -- provides a masterly account of what kind of future the planet might be facing ... by looking at the world's long history of epidemics and discerning what was common about their aftermath. From a plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War in 430 BCE, which Athenians suspected was an act of bioterrorism by their Spartan enemies, to another in 540 that wiped out half the population of the Roman empire, down through the Black Death in the Middle Ages and on through the 1918 flu epidemic (which killed between 50 and 100 million people) and this century's deadly SARS outbreak, plagues have been a much more relentless fact of life than many realize. The legacy of epidemics, Jenkins observes, is not only one of lives lost but of devastated economies and social disorder, all of which have severe political repercussions. Thus, each chapter of Plagues and Their Aftermath draws on those historical precursors to focus on one particular aspect of their aftermath: What happens to political systems? What happens in the area of crime and terrorism? Do wars happen? What are the effects on cultures? What was the impact of widespread fear and public hysteria, of increased suspicion and scapegoating, of the spread of rumors and conspiracy theories, on a culture? Jenkins does not offer quick fixes or pollyannish promises, but his sobering analysis is riveting and thought-provoking reading for general readers and specialists alike, and throws welcome light into what many fear is a dark future.

Combating terrorism continues to be a focus of the U.S. government, and homegrown terrorists are a major concern. In this report, the author examines hundreds of U.S. residents who have traveled or attempted to travel to foreign lands to join or otherwise support terrorist organizations. The findings provide insight into the dimensions and nature of the terrorist threat and the effectiveness of the U.S. response.

From Anders Breivik in Norway, who murdered scores of young people in a bombing and mass-shooting attack, to Omar Mateen, the Orlando killer who perpetrated the worst mass shooting in American history, lone wolves have demonstrated that they can be as dangerous as organized terrorist groups. Who are these terrorists and what can be done about them? An internationally renowned terrorism expert presents the first comprehensive treatment of this important issue. After delving into the diversity in motivations and backgrounds of lone wolf terrorists, Simon makes the following key points about this growing threat: lone wolves have proven to be more creative and dangerous than many terrorist groups; lone wolves are not just Islamist extremists but can be found among all types of political and religious ideologies; the Internet has provided the perfect breeding ground for isolated individuals with terrorist tendencies, but it may also prove to be their undoing; there are few women in this category, but this is likely to change in the coming years; and the common perception that nothing can be done about lone wolves is wrong. In fact, innovative strategies and policies can be developed to both prevent and respond to this type of terrorism. Drawing on his more than twenty-five years of experience studying terrorism, Simon has produced an insightful book that is essential reading for anyone concerned about the potential terrorist threats from violence-prone individuals in our midst.This paperback edition contains a new preface by the author, which reviews lone-wolf incidents since the publication of the original edition.

Proceedings of a workshop aimed at developing strategies to cope with asymmetric conflict in all its dimensions, including military operations, human rights and the role of law, media, public opinion and political warfare, international diplomacy, internal politics of democracies, and preserving civil liberties. Participants noted that military superiority does not count as it did in the past and that finding formulas for success is difficult.

Since 9/11, homegrown terrorists have planned or implemented terrorist activities, supported others terrorist activities, or become radicalized in the United States and traveled abroad to conduct activities against other countries or the United States. This paper examines the cases of homegrown terrorism, highlights lessons learned from those cases that suggest future actions, and includes a chronology of terrorist events in the United States.

This book is unlike other RAND publications. While it is based in part on objective research, particularly as it applies to knowing the enemy, it also includes the personal reflections of someone who has thought about terrorism for decades. I initiated RAND's research on terrorism in 1972 with a simple memorandum that observed that this phenomenon was likely to spread and increase and could create serious problems for the United States and its allies; therefore, I proposed, we should take a serious look at it...This book differs from other RAND publications in yet another respect. The reader will find strong personal opinions on these pages. There is much concerning the conduct of the war on terror that I agree with: the muscular initial response to 9/11, the removal of the Taliban government, the relentless pursuit of al Qaeda's leaders and planners, the increasingly sophisticated approach to homeland security, and, although I have deep reservations about the invasion of Iraq, President Bush's determination to avoid an arbitrary timetable for withdrawal.The list of things with which I do not agree is longer: the needless bravado, the arrogant attitude toward needed allies, the exploitation of fear, the exaggerated claims of progress, the serial bending of history and fact, the persistence of a wanted-poster approach while the broader ideological struggle is ignored, the rush to invade Iraq, the failure to deploy sufficient troops there despite the advice of senior military leaders and the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the cavalier dismissal of treaties governing the conduct of war, the mistreatment of prisoners, the unimaginable public defense of torture, the use of homeland security funding for political pork barrel spending, and the failure to educate and involve citizens. This book is not intended to serve any political agenda. Its sole objective is to reckon how America can defeat its terrorist foes while preserving its own liberty. Throughout the Cold War, Americans maintained a rough consensus on defense matters, despite substantive disagreements. Unity did not require the suspension of honest differences or of civilized political debate.But today's fierce partisanship has reduced national politics to a gang war. The constant maneuvering for narrow political advantage, the rejection of criticism as disloyalty, the pursuit by interest groups of their own exclusive agendas, and the radio, television, newspaper, and Internet debates that thrive on provocation and partisan zeal provide a poor platform for the difficult and sustained effort that America faces. All of these trends imperil the sense of community required to withstand the struggle ahead. We don't need unanimity. We do need unity. Democracy is our strength. Partisanship is our weakness...Excerpt from "Unconquerable Nation: Knowing Our Enemy, Strengthening Ourselves". As the United States battles a fierce insurgency in Iraq, pursues a tenacious Taliban movement in Afghanistan, and wages a global campaign to dismantle the jihadist terrorist enterprise responsible for 9/11, many Americans are asking, "Where are we in this global struggle? Who are we fighting? What are we fighting against? What are we fighting for?"On the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Brian Michael Jenkins presents a clear-sighted and sober analysis of where we are today in the struggle against terrorism. An internationally renowned authority on terrorism, Jenkins distills the jihadists' operational code and suggests how they might assess their situation very differently than how we might do so. He outlines a ferociously pragmatic but principled approach that goes beyond attacking terrorist networks and operational capabilities to defeating their entire missionary enterprise by deterring their recruitment, encouraging defections, and converting those in captivity. Jenkins believes that homeland security should move beyond gates and guards and become the impetus for rebuilding America's decaying infrastructure. He advises Americans to adopt a realistic approach to risk and get a lot smarter about security. America needs to build upon its traditions of determination and self-reliance and, above all, preserve its commitment to American values of democracy, civil freedom, and individual liberties. Preserving these values is no mere matter of morality, he argues; it is a strategic imperative.How we deal with the terrorist threat is one of the major challenges of this century. Jenkins points the way forward.